Skip to content

Glossary of Terms

To help you with some of the terminology used on our website, we have constructed a useful glossary of terms to help you. Please use the below to assist you with understanding specs mentioned in our online store and in our display descriptions:

  • CAKE – A number of single shot tubes fixed together in a box and fired in sequence.
  • CANDLES Bombette – Fires coloured balls into the sky bursting with assorted effects.
  • CANDLES Comets – Shining star leaving a shimmering tail on its ascent.
  • CANDLES Multishot – These are cardboard tubes holding up to 10 firings of stars, noise and effects. We often use these in multiples of 3 or more to give a fan effect.
  • CANDLES Singleshot – As above and often with a comet tail, can be used to highlight a note in a piece of music.
  • DEFS – Digital Electronic Firing System
  • FINALE BOUQUET – A spectacular end to your display with a pre-fused compendium of shells, mines and candles. Giving your spectators a crescendo of colour and sound.
  • FIRING SYSTEMS – Allstar Fireworks use several systems to fire displays, Manual firing buttons, semi-automatic (manual & automatic) and state of the art computerised firing using a laptop to give split second timing.
  • FLARE – A firework that produces an intense light and lots of smoke.
  • FOUNTAIN – Strong cardboard tubes producing jets of coloured fire from ground level and can reach heights of up to 15ft or more.
  • GROUND BURSTS – A fireball or loud bang at ground level.
  • ILLUMINATIONS – Bright coloured fire, sometimes strobing to illuminate an area.
  • LANCEWORK – Rods of fire arranged to form words, a picture or initials.
  • MINE – Fired from a mortar tube, they burst from ground level sending a shower of stars and effects into the air. Mines vary in size from 50mm to 150mm in diameter.
  • MAROON – A very large aerial report usually to open or close your display.
  • PORTFIRE – Used to light display fireworks , a hand held flaming torch unaffected by the elements.
  • ROCKET – The rocket can always be identified by its characteristic sparkling tail on the way up and can exceed heights of 400 ft and produce a number of great effects.
  • SET PIECES – Moving or static devices often attached to a stake such as waterfalls, wheels and fountains.
  • SHELL – The most spectacular of all fireworks, fired from racked mortar tubes to achieve huge aerial bursts many of hundreds of feet in the sky. They vary in size from 50mm to a massive 400mm in diameter.
  • WATERFALL – A chain of fountains arranged to allow the sparks to fall some distance – producing a waterfall effect.
  • WHEEL – The wheels we use are up to 4 feet in diameter and produce different colours, noises and effects.